OHHHH BUMMER! I just listened to the end of the BSU/BYU game. Can you believe it? Matt Payne, the epitome of dependability, our team's MVP. Who would've thought. I hope he's not too hard on himself, because he's still the best kicker in the nation, in my opinion.
Well, after the Notre Dame game, I asked whether you thought the game was a positive or a negative. I'm going to do the same for this game. What do you think, is it going to be a good thing or bad thing for BYU?
The good:
- Best game BYU played all year
- No turnovers, low penalties, few mistakes
- BYU has an offense again!
- Watkins and Collie, you can't guard both and they're both runnin' down the sidelines!
- Beck plays two full games and it finally looks like we have a BYU quarterback again. Is this a return of the legendary Y signal callers?
- The defense snuffed one of the nation's elite offenses
The bad:
- A big blow to Matt Payne's confidence?
- A loss is a loss - we're now 1-3 and facing a big challenge if we want to go to a bowl game
- Is this a big blow to team morale?
It seemed like the game had so many positives. But I know that when I play a game of some sort, and only lose by a point or two, it hurts WAY worse than a blowout because you get so emotionally tied to the game that when it doesn't pan out, it really kills you. Do you think this game will boost Cougar morale or destroy them just before we start conference?
What was your take on the game, Cougar faithful?
Friday, September 24, 2004
Back to the well ... (laptops on campus debate)
Well, one of our best blogging discussions this semester was about whether a school should/could require students to have a technology device, like a laptop. Rich Culatta on his blog made the point that there are many other mobile devices besides laptops. For example, PDAs. Many people already have them, and it wouldn't be too expensive for a school to buy a few more to check out to students. I've often wondered why PDAs aren't used a little more in schools. With all the money we fork out for computers, why not use some of that money to buy 20 PDAs? If you go to Palm's website, you'll find a wealth of ideas about how to use PDAs in education. I also saw a presentation at the SITE conference last year where they sent students on a virtual excavacation with PDAs. The PDAs acted as a map to tell students where to go, and then they collected data and entered the data in the PDAs and then made decisions about the data.
Anyway, I digress. Rich says he believes the real issue shouldn't be whether we should require a certain technology, but whether or not a certain technology would improve education. If it does, we should use it. In his words:
I agree with Rich that we often "look beyond the mark" and don't realize what we're really all about as teachers: finding the best way to teach. But I think we also need to be sensitive to the students' situations. I may feel that a certain technology improves learning, but if it's too expensive for some of my students, then I disadvantage the poorer students. So I think it's a balance. The solution, I think, is an obvious one but one that is often overlooked: use the technology that students already have! For example, most students use instant messenger--in fact most of you said on the pre-class survey that you do. So why don't we find ways to use instant messenging in education? The students already have the technology, so let's use it. Another example is cell phones. Everybody has them! So why don't we find a way to use them for an educational purpose?
Some other examples of technologies that students probably already have or know how to use:
blogs (outside of Utah, blogs are popular, believe it or not)
digital cameras,
Word (there are tons of things you can do with Word besides just type a letter)
Examples of technologies that students may not know about, but are free so they could all have them if we wanted them to:
Drawing programs
Imovie
Online simulations and virtual tours
Transana, Anvil, and Annotape are free video-analysis programs
Okay, I can't think of any others because Matt Payne just missed the final kick and I'm now in mourning! :-(. So help me out! What technologies are already in the hands of students (or could be) that we could take advantage of?
Anyway, I digress. Rich says he believes the real issue shouldn't be whether we should require a certain technology, but whether or not a certain technology would improve education. If it does, we should use it. In his words:
"This is another issue that may seem like a minor wording change, but I think it's an important paradigm shift. It's also a perfect example of the backwards thinking that we do so often in educational settings. Find the best way to teach [period]. If that requires mobile devices, then students will get them. If it requires a mechanical pencil, they will get them. If it requires a paintbrush, they will get them. To be cliché, cure the problem, don't just try to treat the solution. If the cure means that students will be walking around with Blackberry devices (which I think it may) then so be it."
I agree with Rich that we often "look beyond the mark" and don't realize what we're really all about as teachers: finding the best way to teach. But I think we also need to be sensitive to the students' situations. I may feel that a certain technology improves learning, but if it's too expensive for some of my students, then I disadvantage the poorer students. So I think it's a balance. The solution, I think, is an obvious one but one that is often overlooked: use the technology that students already have! For example, most students use instant messenger--in fact most of you said on the pre-class survey that you do. So why don't we find ways to use instant messenging in education? The students already have the technology, so let's use it. Another example is cell phones. Everybody has them! So why don't we find a way to use them for an educational purpose?
Some other examples of technologies that students probably already have or know how to use:
blogs (outside of Utah, blogs are popular, believe it or not)
digital cameras,
Word (there are tons of things you can do with Word besides just type a letter)
Examples of technologies that students may not know about, but are free so they could all have them if we wanted them to:
Drawing programs
Imovie
Online simulations and virtual tours
Transana, Anvil, and Annotape are free video-analysis programs
Okay, I can't think of any others because Matt Payne just missed the final kick and I'm now in mourning! :-(. So help me out! What technologies are already in the hands of students (or could be) that we could take advantage of?
Blogs in social studies
Okay, so I'm a loser without cable, so I'm listening to this very exciting BYU football game and blogging on my computer.
My colleague in my department and another IPT 286 instructor, Rich Culatta, blogged today about how he is reading the newspapers less and is instead getting his news from blogs and wikis. While he admits that these sources are not necessarily always accurate, they do have the benefit of being to the point and directly from the source. For example, if you want to know about the situation in Iraq, would you rather read a newspaper reporter's spin on it, or read about it from an Iraqi who is blogging about what is happening in his backyard?
This makes me think that blogging could be a powerful tool in a social studies or foreign culture class. Instead of just reading about Spain, or Palestine, why not have your students find kids their age in those countries, and then read their blogs? Learn about the people FROM the people, not from a third-party source.
Anyway, in case you wanted to check them out, Rich posted a few blogs from Iraq. I want to look them up when I get a chance.
* Iraqi Blogs (BBC)
* US Soldier Blogs (CNN)
* Convention Blogs (CNN)
My colleague in my department and another IPT 286 instructor, Rich Culatta, blogged today about how he is reading the newspapers less and is instead getting his news from blogs and wikis. While he admits that these sources are not necessarily always accurate, they do have the benefit of being to the point and directly from the source. For example, if you want to know about the situation in Iraq, would you rather read a newspaper reporter's spin on it, or read about it from an Iraqi who is blogging about what is happening in his backyard?
This makes me think that blogging could be a powerful tool in a social studies or foreign culture class. Instead of just reading about Spain, or Palestine, why not have your students find kids their age in those countries, and then read their blogs? Learn about the people FROM the people, not from a third-party source.
Anyway, in case you wanted to check them out, Rich posted a few blogs from Iraq. I want to look them up when I get a chance.
* Iraqi Blogs (BBC)
* US Soldier Blogs (CNN)
* Convention Blogs (CNN)
Putting it all together!
Well, now you all know how to blog, and you've all learned a little bit about searching for effective digital resources.
Now let's see you put them together!
Up until this point, the majority of the blogging in this class has been reflective in nature--students are talking about things I mention on my blog or in class. That's excellent, and that's one of the things we hoped you would do on your blog. However, blogging can be really powerful when you start to synthesize things you learn on the internet, push and stretch your own ideas, and create new theories. The blogging model goes something like this:
1. Find good ideas and sources on the internet
2. Synthesize what you are learning by referring to multiple internet sources
3. Create your own knowledge by rephrasing what it is you have learned
4. Post your new knowledge on your blog.
5. Then others start the process over again by reading what you wrote, synthesizing it, creating their own new knowledge, and posting it on their blog. And the conversation rolls on and on and on.
I challenge you to do this! Find ideas related to your teaching emphasis (it it's about using technology in your teaching emphasis, even better), think about these ideas, and post them so your blogging buddies can read and learn too. If you find a source that's especially good, put it on your blogroll (now that you know how to do it).
Now let's see you put them together!
Up until this point, the majority of the blogging in this class has been reflective in nature--students are talking about things I mention on my blog or in class. That's excellent, and that's one of the things we hoped you would do on your blog. However, blogging can be really powerful when you start to synthesize things you learn on the internet, push and stretch your own ideas, and create new theories. The blogging model goes something like this:
1. Find good ideas and sources on the internet
2. Synthesize what you are learning by referring to multiple internet sources
3. Create your own knowledge by rephrasing what it is you have learned
4. Post your new knowledge on your blog.
5. Then others start the process over again by reading what you wrote, synthesizing it, creating their own new knowledge, and posting it on their blog. And the conversation rolls on and on and on.
I challenge you to do this! Find ideas related to your teaching emphasis (it it's about using technology in your teaching emphasis, even better), think about these ideas, and post them so your blogging buddies can read and learn too. If you find a source that's especially good, put it on your blogroll (now that you know how to do it).
Thursday, September 23, 2004
USB drives -- the next fashion statement
Okay, this has nothing to do with class, except that you were all required to purchase USB drives. I had to laugh when I read this on Slashdot (a flash or thumb drive is the same as a USB drive):
So there you go! USB drives are chic now. Who would ever have thought that wearing your homework around your neck could be in style?
"In some cases, flash drives have suddenly become so commonplace that, as with cellphones, their owners are adding fashion touches [DNA must be on file to read] to lend them a personal identity." Apparently, the most important thing about thumb drives is not that they are cheap, fast, durable, easy to use or hold a lot of data, but that wearing one around your neck identifies you as one of the techno-congniscenti, especially if you personalize it with stickers."
So there you go! USB drives are chic now. Who would ever have thought that wearing your homework around your neck could be in style?
Do something fun and new for your wiki pages!
Over the next two weeks you are going to have an opportunity as groups to learn about two technologies so you can write wiki pages about them. Part of the reason why we created this assignment was so you could see the breadth of technologies available for your specific discipline after it was all done, and so you could have the opportunity to learn a new technology.
I've seen some groups plan to do wiki pages on the Internet, movies, even magnets. Yes, these are all technologies -- but everybody already knows about them! The wiki is meant to be a collection of descriptions about technologies that aren't as well known ... so that we can teach other and give each other new ideas.
I STRONGLY suggest that when you're deciding what wiki pages to do as a group, that you don't do something easy or lame like the Internet. Talk as a group about what technologies are used in your field, technologies that maybe you don't know very well but would like to. Then you can study these technologies as you write wiki pages about them. If you have no clue what technologies might be good for your field of study, then ask your professors, practicing teachers, etc. As a last resort, you can brainstorm with me. I can maybe offer some ideas, but I'm not going to know your specific field of study as well as your professors would.
Have fun! And be bold and branch out--let's explore some technologies that may be unfamiliar!
I've seen some groups plan to do wiki pages on the Internet, movies, even magnets. Yes, these are all technologies -- but everybody already knows about them! The wiki is meant to be a collection of descriptions about technologies that aren't as well known ... so that we can teach other and give each other new ideas.
I STRONGLY suggest that when you're deciding what wiki pages to do as a group, that you don't do something easy or lame like the Internet. Talk as a group about what technologies are used in your field, technologies that maybe you don't know very well but would like to. Then you can study these technologies as you write wiki pages about them. If you have no clue what technologies might be good for your field of study, then ask your professors, practicing teachers, etc. As a last resort, you can brainstorm with me. I can maybe offer some ideas, but I'm not going to know your specific field of study as well as your professors would.
Have fun! And be bold and branch out--let's explore some technologies that may be unfamiliar!
Is blogging helping or hurting?
Jared brings up a good question on his blog about computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL). He specifically is talking about CSCL, but others have made the same argument about other forms of CSCL, such as discussion boards, instant messenging, even email. He said:
I responded to Jared by saying:
I'd like to hear from some of the rest of you about this. People make a similar argument about what technology may or may not be doing to our writing. Some people say it makes us worse writers because we get lazy and use spell checker instead of really learning to spell, and we use weird internet lingo like "R U going 2 go?". Others argue that technology is helping us become better writers, or at least more frequent writers, because EVERYBODY seems to be emailing, instant messenging or blogging these days, whereas they used to not do any writing at all unless for school.
So back to the original point Jared brought up: Is technology helping or hindering?
"Now don't get me wrong. I have really enjoyed my blogging experience. But I can't help but question, in a classroom setting, does blogging unify the class, or separate it? Let me qualify that question. We are in an age where communication is easier than it has ever been. We can follow the news in myriad mediums. We can send and recieve emails rather than wait for days or months to receive snail mail. But it seems to me that technology leads to a downgrade in communication rather than an upgrade. We spend time every week sitting at a computer communicating in writing precisely so we don't have to sit down in person with people who walk around all day on our same campus! We say, "isn't this convenient that I can get all the benefits of talking to Danielle without ever really having to talk to Danielle?" ... It seems that technology is doing more to separate us from the world and from eachother than it is doing to unite us."
I responded to Jared by saying:
"Really good comment, Jared. This debate is hot in educational technology research right now. Some people argue that technology increases collaboration and interaction, some argue it doesn't. I think a key is, does the computer-supported collaboration replace face-to-face interaction? If so, then it might not be a good choice. However, does it add interaction that wouldn't be there otherwise? For example, if the choice was no interaction because we don't have time (or whatever our excuse is), or interaction through the Internet, which is better?
Another example, I'm interacting with teachers from Australia and England right now on a project. They met me through my blog, and we are collaborating by working together on a wiki, discussion board, and through email to accomplish a project. I'd never talk to these people for real, so being able to communicate through the Internet is helpful. But I agree that emailing my wife or close friends here at BYU is less effective than actually talking to them."
I'd like to hear from some of the rest of you about this. People make a similar argument about what technology may or may not be doing to our writing. Some people say it makes us worse writers because we get lazy and use spell checker instead of really learning to spell, and we use weird internet lingo like "R U going 2 go?". Others argue that technology is helping us become better writers, or at least more frequent writers, because EVERYBODY seems to be emailing, instant messenging or blogging these days, whereas they used to not do any writing at all unless for school.
So back to the original point Jared brought up: Is technology helping or hindering?
Reminder on the blogrolls assignment
Memory wrote to me this about the blogrolls assignment:
"For some reason the Blogrolls (and a few of the other links) link on the assignment page isn't working. I tried to check the rubric to make sure I had completed all of the requirements for the assignment, but I couldn't get to it! (It was working in class, so I'm not sure what has changed.)"
I've fixed that now, so it should work--thanks Memory!
By the way, I checked the assignment and remembered that part of the assignment is to also put your blogging buddies' blog URLs on your blogroll. This should be a snap, because once you've figured out how to put a link in a blogroll, it's not hard to just put a few more. Just copy the code, and change the URL. Anyway, we did this so that if me or Alyssa ever go to your blog, we'll be able to easily know who else is in your blogging group and we could go to their blogs easily because they will be linked to yours.
SO DON'T FORGET TO ADD YOUR BLOGGING BUDDIES TO YOUR BLOGROLL!
In case you need it, here's the link to the blogroll tutorial again.
"For some reason the Blogrolls (and a few of the other links) link on the assignment page isn't working. I tried to check the rubric to make sure I had completed all of the requirements for the assignment, but I couldn't get to it! (It was working in class, so I'm not sure what has changed.)"
I've fixed that now, so it should work--thanks Memory!
By the way, I checked the assignment and remembered that part of the assignment is to also put your blogging buddies' blog URLs on your blogroll. This should be a snap, because once you've figured out how to put a link in a blogroll, it's not hard to just put a few more. Just copy the code, and change the URL. Anyway, we did this so that if me or Alyssa ever go to your blog, we'll be able to easily know who else is in your blogging group and we could go to their blogs easily because they will be linked to yours.
SO DON'T FORGET TO ADD YOUR BLOGGING BUDDIES TO YOUR BLOGROLL!
In case you need it, here's the link to the blogroll tutorial again.
Wednesday, September 22, 2004
Answering some questions
I met with a few students yesterday, and thought I might answer a few questions that they had here on my blog in case anyone else had the same question.
Remember that each group does two wiki pages -- and ALL members of the group work on each page. You only have to outline what you want to do this week. You actually make the wiki pages next week. For these page, you can do 2 description pages (describing a technology, like Inspiration) or two integration pages (describing how to use Inspiration in a class), or one of each.
Some students worried that all the pages were taken up for what they wanted to do. To clarify, only one group can do a description page on a technology. For example, if someone else is explaining Excel, what it is, and so forth--why would you want to do that? There's only so much you can say. However, there are hundreds of different ways to apply Excel to school situations. So there could be hundreds of Excel Integration pages. If someone is already doing an Excel integration page, and you want to, just make a new link to a new page and do it!
Remember that if you don't understand wikis (for example, you don't know what I was talking about when I said, "make a new page"), then go to the wiki sandbox and learn! Here's the link to the sandbox: http://ipt.byu.edu/~wiki/28x/Main/WikiSandbox
Go there and at the bottom of the screen are some brief directions on how to write and create in wiki. I'll give only one tip here. If, when you're typing, you mash two words together, like this: "RickWest," it will create a new page and link to that page. It's that easy!
Remember that each group does two wiki pages -- and ALL members of the group work on each page. You only have to outline what you want to do this week. You actually make the wiki pages next week. For these page, you can do 2 description pages (describing a technology, like Inspiration) or two integration pages (describing how to use Inspiration in a class), or one of each.
Some students worried that all the pages were taken up for what they wanted to do. To clarify, only one group can do a description page on a technology. For example, if someone else is explaining Excel, what it is, and so forth--why would you want to do that? There's only so much you can say. However, there are hundreds of different ways to apply Excel to school situations. So there could be hundreds of Excel Integration pages. If someone is already doing an Excel integration page, and you want to, just make a new link to a new page and do it!
Remember that if you don't understand wikis (for example, you don't know what I was talking about when I said, "make a new page"), then go to the wiki sandbox and learn! Here's the link to the sandbox: http://ipt.byu.edu/~wiki/28x/Main/WikiSandbox
Go there and at the bottom of the screen are some brief directions on how to write and create in wiki. I'll give only one tip here. If, when you're typing, you mash two words together, like this: "RickWest," it will create a new page and link to that page. It's that easy!
Ask and ye shall receive ...
Remember how a week ago the question was brought up in class why when you read something in Bloglines, it disappears when you go back there? I explained that this is a good feature to keep only new, unread stuff in your aggregator so you don't fill it up with a bunch of old stuff. But I agree there are times when you want to save something for later, and not have it immediately disappear when you log out.
Now you can do something about it.
Bloglines just introduced a new feature tonight that you should be able to read about the next time you log into Bloglines. To quote them:
"When reading your feeds, at the bottom of each entry is a checkbox labeled Keep New. Check it and that entry is marked unread, and will stay that way until you uncheck the box. This is useful for entries that you decide you don't have time to read right now, but that you don't want to save in your Clippings folder. You can also use the mark all new link that appears at the top of each feed in the right pane when reading subscriptions to reset all the currently displayed items to unread."
So if you check this box, it will not erase a post you want to go back and reread later. Too cool! That's what I love about Bloglines. There are many different brands of aggregators out there, but Bloglines is continually trying to fix things to make their customers happy.
Now you can do something about it.
Bloglines just introduced a new feature tonight that you should be able to read about the next time you log into Bloglines. To quote them:
"When reading your feeds, at the bottom of each entry is a checkbox labeled Keep New. Check it and that entry is marked unread, and will stay that way until you uncheck the box. This is useful for entries that you decide you don't have time to read right now, but that you don't want to save in your Clippings folder. You can also use the mark all new link that appears at the top of each feed in the right pane when reading subscriptions to reset all the currently displayed items to unread."
So if you check this box, it will not erase a post you want to go back and reread later. Too cool! That's what I love about Bloglines. There are many different brands of aggregators out there, but Bloglines is continually trying to fix things to make their customers happy.
Tuesday, September 21, 2004
Your homework groups
One of the crazy curveballs I threw at you this week (once again, apologies for introducing so many new things this week) were new groups. Let me explain:
- You have blogging groups to share ideas. You did one homework assignment in blogging groups, this was the Intro to Tech Integration assignment. You will do no more homework assignments in your blogging groups. You should still read each other's blogs and comment to each other, but you will not be doing homework together.
- You have homework groups. Many of the assignments in this class are group-based projects. We do this because we know many of the assignments can be complicated, and the groups are there to share the workload and help each other out so that you are not so overwhelmed. We also agree with Vygotsky, Leve, Wenger, Engestrom, and other learning theorists who believe you learn more effectively in social situations. We have learned by experience that groups of 2-4 work best. It is important to work well in your group and to communicate often because you will do several assignments together.
Here are your homework groups for the rest of the semester. I really hate my naming scheme, and I'm sure you do to. If you want to have a unique name for your group, rather than "Science 2.1" then tell me what you want to call yourselves. I've had some fun groups in my classes before, from the Spongebobs to the Gryffindors.
Megan A./Nicole K./Elaine T.
Science 2.1
Memorie D./Sarah E./Rosie
Science 2.2
Carla Goodman/Benjamin Sheldon
Science 3
Jill S./Matthew Z./J'Nette N./Rachel F.
English 4.1
Jonathan B./Hayley B./Elisa Findlay
English 4.2
Joseph G./Camille M./Natalie C.
English 5.1
Tiffany M./Thomas Jared R./Danielle S.
English 5.2
Bonnie S./Caroline U./Fran Masino
History/Social Sciences/Geography (HSG) 6.1
Molly B./Jeremy J./Lindsay B.
HSG 6.2
Amy E./Savanna W./Emily D.
Languages
Roxana L./Mary M./Alise P./Elaine D.
Health/Home Ec/Family and Consumer Sciences (HHF) 8.1
Lindsay B./Jamie C./Rachelle D./Jessica M
HHF 8.2
Sarah B./Erin C./Elisa F.
- You have blogging groups to share ideas. You did one homework assignment in blogging groups, this was the Intro to Tech Integration assignment. You will do no more homework assignments in your blogging groups. You should still read each other's blogs and comment to each other, but you will not be doing homework together.
- You have homework groups. Many of the assignments in this class are group-based projects. We do this because we know many of the assignments can be complicated, and the groups are there to share the workload and help each other out so that you are not so overwhelmed. We also agree with Vygotsky, Leve, Wenger, Engestrom, and other learning theorists who believe you learn more effectively in social situations. We have learned by experience that groups of 2-4 work best. It is important to work well in your group and to communicate often because you will do several assignments together.
Here are your homework groups for the rest of the semester. I really hate my naming scheme, and I'm sure you do to. If you want to have a unique name for your group, rather than "Science 2.1" then tell me what you want to call yourselves. I've had some fun groups in my classes before, from the Spongebobs to the Gryffindors.
Homework Groups
Dance
Megan A./Nicole K./Elaine T.
Science 2.1
Memorie D./Sarah E./Rosie
Science 2.2
Carla Goodman/Benjamin Sheldon
Science 3
Jill S./Matthew Z./J'Nette N./Rachel F.
English 4.1
Jonathan B./Hayley B./Elisa Findlay
English 4.2
Joseph G./Camille M./Natalie C.
English 5.1
Tiffany M./Thomas Jared R./Danielle S.
English 5.2
Bonnie S./Caroline U./Fran Masino
History/Social Sciences/Geography (HSG) 6.1
Molly B./Jeremy J./Lindsay B.
HSG 6.2
Amy E./Savanna W./Emily D.
Languages
Roxana L./Mary M./Alise P./Elaine D.
Health/Home Ec/Family and Consumer Sciences (HHF) 8.1
Lindsay B./Jamie C./Rachelle D./Jessica M
HHF 8.2
Sarah B./Erin C./Elisa F.
Monday, September 20, 2004
This week's assignments
Whew! Today was definitely a cognitive overload day. I could tell it on your faces, and I'll definitely be adjusting the schedule for the future. Sorry about that everyone--what was I thinking introducing html AND wikis in the same week?
The consolation to you should be that while the cognitive load is very heavy this week (i.e. there is a big learning curve this week for what we're doing), the actual workload is light. The assignments really are easy. So spend your homework time trying to figure out how to work a Wiki and how to do your blogrolls (if you haven't).
To summarize, there are two things due this week. I won't describe the assignments in detail because we've described them in detail on the assignment pages. If you have questions, however, write them as comments here and I will answer them within 24 hours.
Due this week:
1) Blogrolls — Post your digital resources to your blogrolls so your blogging buddies can see the sources you've found. The purpose of this assignment is also to get your feet briefly wet in HTML: what it looks like and how to write in this language. You should have done most of this in class.
2) Outline your wiki pages — Learn how to wiki, what the wiki language is (which is different from html), and decide as a group what wiki pages you will do. This is described, again, in much more detail on the assignment page. The important thing that I think lacked in many groups today is you didn't coordinate when you would meet, or call, or email, or whatever to set this up. You have to somehow communicate as a group and decide what wiki pages you want to do, and outline them very briefly on our class wiki website.
BTW- Many of you, it seemed, did not even look at the assignment page for the intro to technology integration assignment. How come? We basically gave you the specifics on how to do the assignment and get your points. We do that each week, so I encourage you to follow the rubric and you will probably have fewer questions and more points.
Double BTW — I have office hours but nobody ever comes! I can visit with students Mondays from noon to 2 p.m. or Wednesdays from noon to 2 p.m. All I ask is that you email me beforehand and then I'll meet you in the computer lab. If those times don't work, suggest another day and I'll meet you then, if I can. I want to help you this week because I know there was a lot of confusion, so just email me or post a question on my blog and I'll help you, if I can.
The consolation to you should be that while the cognitive load is very heavy this week (i.e. there is a big learning curve this week for what we're doing), the actual workload is light. The assignments really are easy. So spend your homework time trying to figure out how to work a Wiki and how to do your blogrolls (if you haven't).
To summarize, there are two things due this week. I won't describe the assignments in detail because we've described them in detail on the assignment pages. If you have questions, however, write them as comments here and I will answer them within 24 hours.
Due this week:
1) Blogrolls — Post your digital resources to your blogrolls so your blogging buddies can see the sources you've found. The purpose of this assignment is also to get your feet briefly wet in HTML: what it looks like and how to write in this language. You should have done most of this in class.
2) Outline your wiki pages — Learn how to wiki, what the wiki language is (which is different from html), and decide as a group what wiki pages you will do. This is described, again, in much more detail on the assignment page. The important thing that I think lacked in many groups today is you didn't coordinate when you would meet, or call, or email, or whatever to set this up. You have to somehow communicate as a group and decide what wiki pages you want to do, and outline them very briefly on our class wiki website.
BTW- Many of you, it seemed, did not even look at the assignment page for the intro to technology integration assignment. How come? We basically gave you the specifics on how to do the assignment and get your points. We do that each week, so I encourage you to follow the rubric and you will probably have fewer questions and more points.
Double BTW — I have office hours but nobody ever comes! I can visit with students Mondays from noon to 2 p.m. or Wednesdays from noon to 2 p.m. All I ask is that you email me beforehand and then I'll meet you in the computer lab. If those times don't work, suggest another day and I'll meet you then, if I can. I want to help you this week because I know there was a lot of confusion, so just email me or post a question on my blog and I'll help you, if I can.
What good technology integration is
Thank you all for your insightful ideas about what constitutes good technology integration that you posted last week. We are grading the intro to technology integration assignment still, but here is my list of Principles for Good Technology Integration, gleaned from all of your postings (yes, I read everybody's "rules"). This might be worth clipping and saving and then pulling out to remind yourself every summer before you charge into a new school year.
I've linked to each blog that provided the idea. If none of your ideas are listed here, don't be disappointed. Many people had the same good idea, but I only linked to one student, just because it was easier.
Principles for Good Technology Integration
I've linked to each blog that provided the idea. If none of your ideas are listed here, don't be disappointed. Many people had the same good idea, but I only linked to one student, just because it was easier.
Principles for Good Technology Integration
- Always keep trying new things, do not remain stagnant on your own techniques. Keep integrating new tools every year.
- Integration should help students prepare for the workforce by educating them in adapting to new technologies
- Technology integration should enhance cognitive learning through added interaction among students and applying knowledge to create something using technology
- Technology should help create higher thinking skills and critical analysis
- Students should be the main users of the technology (as opposed to the teacher); teachers should be available to give examples and guide the students, but students will learn (the technology and the subject) best if they are the primary users of the technology.
- Teachers should understand the subject-matter to be taught, as well as the technology/programs being used before they attempt teaching
- Be creative- enough powerpoints, already!
- I think all of us agree it is most important that the technology that we use has to increase the child's learning. It can't be a hinderance to the learning process.
- Technology should understand that some students won't respond to technology and computers and should provide a variety of learning activities at all times.
- Assess students’ acheivments and what they are learning through a variety of technology techniques.
- A tool is only as good as the person behind it - technology should be used to help the students think, not to avoid thinking
- Technology should be interactive: students should be able to respond to the material.
- Just because a technological tool is there, doesn't necessarily mean that it adds to the educational experience
- As an educator, take advantage of every opportunity to learn more; study different techologies, improve your own skills, and constantly work to get better
- Using tehnology should not replace the need for improvement or interaction from the actual teacher
- Technology should help students see and experience the real world that a traditional classroom setting cannot provide by helping students construct knowledge instead of just reproducing it
- Activities involving technology should build on what the students already know so that they can see its relevance and application, but it should also offer something they wouldn't get from regular classroom activities in order to expand their learning experience
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